


The Sting

by allmadeofstardust



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Canon Backstory, Con Artists, Gen, Homelessness, Pre-Canon, Thievery, trickery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:13:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29698302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allmadeofstardust/pseuds/allmadeofstardust
Summary: “What should we call it?” he asked.“Call what?”He tucked the gold safely into the purse at his belt.“The trick,” he answered.An exploration of Caleb and Nott's life before they met the Nein, and the various cons they pulled to survive.
Relationships: Nott | Veth Brenatto & Caleb Widogast
Comments: 6
Kudos: 47





	1. Rat Food

**Author's Note:**

> The wiki entry for Caleb's bio has the following sentence:  
>  _They survived by petty theft, trickery, and con schemes, living from hand to mouth as wandering hobos._
> 
> I was always curious about the different kinds of cons they pulled, and in episode 1 Nott even lists a few names of some of them. As a lover of heist/con artist movies, I wanted to expand on their dynamic and how well (or not) they were able to pull off these cons.
> 
> The title is the name of the movie "The Sting" in which a young Robert Redford teams up with Paul Newman to pull a massive con. It's one of my favorite movies and definitely worth checking out.

It was the price of the room that made Nott think of it.

“I know it’s a new idea,” she explained as Caleb flipped through one of the books they’d managed to acquire a few towns back. He’d already learned everything he could from it, but he spitefully tried to glean more all the same.

“ _Ja_ , it is,” he agreed. “But I do like it.”

“See? That’s what I thought you’d say. It’s so easy when you think about it, just a simple little bit of disguise work here and there and…”

“I am not sure a small illusion will do the trick, though,” he commented. “What if the innkeep tries to touch it?”

Nott nodded.

“You’re right, you’re right.” She thought for a few moments. “Oh! Do you still have that dagger?”

Caleb removed the small knife from his coat. It was nothing more than a tool, really, a way of sharpening pencils and opening particularly stubborn locks. He’d never used it as a weapon.

“What are you planning, Nott?” he asked warily as he handed it to her. She took it with gusto, examining it.

“Well, if we want to pass it off as a real thing, then we’d need real bites, wouldn’t we?”

Caleb’s eyes widened.

“I do not like where this is going.”

“It’ll be fine!” Nott reassured him. “We’ve both had worse, haven’t we? What’s a little nicked skin?”

“Then let me do it,” Caleb demanded. The scars beneath their wrappings were already starting to itch. “I’m stronger, I can handle it.”

Nott smiled slightly.

“I know you don’t think that’s true. Besides, it’s more convincing if a little girl gets hurt than her father, don’t you think? More sympathy that way.”

Caleb was still hesitant, but he couldn’t argue with her points.

“Alright,” he sighed. “Just...don’t hurt yourself too much, _ja_?”

Nott leapt onto the bed next to Caleb and raised the knife with a flourish.

“Here’s to a gold and three silver!” she said with a plastered on smile, then lowered the knife.

It was tedious work, for though Caleb detested the idea, they both admitted the charade had to be convincing. He felt his heart constrict at every little sound of pain coming from his friend, and he held her tightly as she worked. Finally she was done, and she wiped the blood off the dagger on the inside of his coat. She smiled up at him, joy barely betraying the pain, and settled in close to him to sleep.

The next morning the cuts had stopped bleeding, but they were still red, and pus was beginning to form on their edges. It was nothing life-threatening by any means, but it made Caleb sick to look at it.

“Alright, just act like you’re in pain,” he advised Nott as they gathered their things.

She winced as she handed him their bag, the movement stretching a cut along her arm.

“Unfortunately that’s very easy to do,” she admitted with a small laugh.

Caleb scooped her up into his arms and held her close as they descended down the steps to the main tavern area. The innkeep was wiping down the counter as he looked up to find Caleb putting on his sternest expression.

“Is everything alright, sir?” he asked as Caleb stormed over to him.

“ _Nein_ , everything is _not_ alright,” he snapped. “Your so-called pristine living conditions are filled with _vermin_! Look at what they did to her last night!”

He showed him a glimpse of Nott’s broken skin, doing his best not to betray the distinctly green coloration. The innkeep looked distraught.

“O - oh, I’m - I’m _sorry_ , sir, I didn’t - ”

“ _Sorry_ doesn’t cover a dozen rat bites,” Caleb spat with vitriol. He could feel Nott shaking under his grasp, and he gripped her tighter. “Put your money where your mouth is and reimburse us.”

The innkeep gaped at him.

“S - sir, I can’t just -”

“Unless you’d like me to report you to this whole town that your establishment is filled with disgusting creatures?”

The man paled.

“G - give me just a moment,” he mumbled, and ducked into the back room. Caleb patted Nott’s back.

“Just a bit more,” he whispered into her ear. He felt her nod.

The innkeep returned, carrying a small satchel filled with coin.

“T - there you go, sir. Like you asked.” He bowed his head. “Listen, I - I’ve worked hard to hold this place so...so I rounded it up to two gold, just to make us even, alright? Please don’t go reporting me to the - ”

Caleb snatched the bag from the man before he could finish, his heart beating wildly.

“It will do,” he managed. “Now clean this place up before things get _worse_.”

He stormed out the door before the innkeep could even reply, clutching the purse to his chest tightly, refusing to let go.

Nott squirmed in his grasp, raising her head to look down at the bag.

“He didn’t cheat us, did he?” she asked frantically. “Go on, check!”

Caleb managed to spot an alley that they ducked into. He set Nott down and knelt beside her, and together they opened the pouch. Two gold pieces lay nestled within its folds, plus a singular copper that the innkeep must have forgotten was in the bag.

Caleb stared up at Nott and grinned. He threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

“What should we call it?” he asked.

“Call what?”

He released her and tucked the gold safely into the purse at his belt.

“The trick,” he answered, pointing at Nott’s broken skin. She beamed up at him.

“Rat Food,” she announced with a cheeky smirk.

Caleb nodded.

“Let us not rely on that,” he urged her. “I do not like it when you are hurt. But when we are in a bind…”

“Understood,” Nott said, and took his hand in hers.


	2. Moneypot

Nott had quick fingers. They were useful for swiping coin purses and picking locks, but today they served a greater purpose - cheating.

The town they had come across was smaller than most, which is why they were playing it safe. Caleb had warned against blatantly illegal maneuvers, for fear of catching the local authorities’ attention, so instead they picked a spot more in view with the travelers along the main thoroughfare and settled in.

The card deck was worn and partially tattered from age and overuse - it wasn’t the first time they had played this con, nor would it be their last.

“Think you can outsmart the best card player in the region?” Caleb was announcing to the passing crowd. “Come, step up, and test your wits!”

Already a few people had taken interest, pulling away from the rush to the side alley where they had set up shop. It was nothing but an overturned box, which Caleb sat cross-legged behind, Nott at his side with her mask up and hungry eyes sweeping their new targets.

“How does this game work?” a pudgy man with distinctly more facial hair than was needed asked.

“It is simple,” Caleb explained. “My assistant will deal the cards. You take a look to see which cards you have match up with the cards in front of you, and you can bet however much you’d like on whether your hand beats my own.”

“Sounds like luck to me,” the man said, though he was already moving to sit across from Caleb.

“Ah, but that is where your wits come into play!” Caleb said. “For you see, at any time you may look at one card in my hand. If you are dissatisfied with your own afterwards, you may discard and redraw as many as you’d like. I am not allowed to do so. A risky game, but well worth the rewards at the end,  _ ja _ ?”

Already Caleb could see the man was hooked, and there were two more behind him eagerly awaiting their turn. In an honest game, the odds would be severely in their favor.

How suitable it was that this was not an honest game.

Nott dealt the cards silently, and the man examined them with intent. Shaking his head, he reached out a hand to pluck one of Caleb’s out. He checked it, smiled, and methodically replaced a few of his cards, before placing them triumphantly on the table in front of him.

“I win! There’s no way you can beat - ”

Caleb showed no emotion, simply placing his own cards down. He had three face cards, and two aces.

“Full house,” he declared, and scooped up the coin the man had placed on the box. “Apologies,  _ mein freund. _ You may always try - ”

“I want to try again,” the man demanded, producing even more coin.

Though no one could see it behind her mask, Caleb knew Nott’s smirk through nothing more than her eyes.

They played another round, this time with Caleb winning in a straight flush. He could distinctly see the man turning a violent shade of pink as his temper spiked.

“I want to go again,” he insisted, but the woman waiting in line behind him pushed him out of the way.

“You’ve had your turn, let other people try!” she spat, and the man retreated, cursing under his breath.

The woman was slower, taking her time between each card pull. Caleb let her have her fun, already content with the amount of money he’d secured off of the man. He succeeded in outmatching the woman as well, and she left in a huff.

Two more followed, each with their own cockiness that maybe this time,  _ they’ll _ be the one to succeed. Two more hands, two more handfuls of coin, rightfully earned. One of their marks even paused to shake Caleb’s hand in respect for beating him fair and square.

_ If only he knew _ .

The day wound towards evening, and in a break between participants, Caleb quietly counted the coin. Enough for a room at the inn, and possibly a hot meal, and he thought maybe,  _ maybe _ he’d have enough left to buy a book.

He just needed a little bit more.

He waved down passerby, but now the street was beginning to empty as the sun went down. At the last minute, before he decided to turn in, a younger looking man with a pointed nose approached them.

“May I try?” he said, and placed a whole gold piece on the box. Nott made a small yelping sound that she swiftly covered up, while Caleb tried to control his now slightly panicked breathing.

“Of course,” he managed, and Nott dealt the cards.

The whole time they played, Caleb kept his eye on the money. It would be so easy to simply grab it and take off, but he needed to earn it. They both did, even in their own false way.

He supposed the shininess of their potential prize was the reason Nott slipped.

She was halfway into dealing Caleb his hand when her dextrous fingers caught, spilling a few cards onto the box. Three face cards, and an ace.

The young man noticed immediately. He stood up, snatching the gold back before Nott could make a mad grab for it.

“You’ve been cheating,” he growled, fingers clenching into fists.

Caleb stared up at him in fear, and he barely felt the tug of the purse at his side being pulled free by Nott as she took off further into the alley.

“H - hey, come back here!” the man shouted, moving to follow, but Caleb had the guts to stand up and block his way forward. His failed target scowled at him for all of a second, before reeling back and punching Caleb hard across the jaw.

He went down instantly, as the man towered over him. He was younger than Caleb, by almost a decade it seemed, but small details like that didn’t matter as Caleb tried to recover, ready to run when he inevitably called the guards.

Instead, he shoved Caleb with his foot and spat on him, turning away.

“Lousy cheats,” he mumbled as he went. “I give them  _ pocket change _ and they try to - ”

His voice was lost as he turned the corner and vanished around the bend.

Caleb slowly pulled himself up, rubbing at his throbbing jaw, unsure whether to be grateful to the lack of authorities or spiteful that a whole gold piece was considered “pocket change” to some people.

The sun had set by now, the streets empty and alight only by the occasional torch. He stared down the street towards where the man had gone, and nearly jumped out of his skin when a soft hand touched his shoulder.

“Sorry,” Nott said sadly. “I shouldn’t have run.”

She handed him back the purse with their fiercely earned coin, and he smiled at her. Her mask was off now, and her mouth curved into a frown as she examined his face.

“Oh, Caleb, your lip is bleeding,” she sighed, reaching up to wipe at it with her sleeve.

“I’m okay,” he said, taking her small hand and giving it a squeeze. “I am just glad I am not in a cell right now.”

Nott nodded, and helped him up the best she could given her tiny frame.

“Come on,” Caleb suggested, a false sense of courage in his voice. “We have enough for a room and a meal. We’ll be alright.”

Nott took his hand, and together they walked down the street.


	3. Prince and the Pauper

Finding themselves at a larger town had its advantages - they could blend in more, fade away into the crowd after a day of pickpocketing, and nobody would be the wiser. It also meant more of a guard presence, which meant more watchful eyes, and more places that were strictly off limits.

This particular town was situated nearby a collection of nobles and their estates. Nott immediately wanted to sneak into one of their homes and burgle all of their wealth, but Caleb swiftly denounced the idea. They instead spent the day wandered the market district, Nott swiping a loaf of bread from a shop display, and Caleb procuring copper from paltry begging - a trade they did not like falling back on, but was always a safe alternative to illegal activities.

Today, however, it was getting colder. The autumn months had snuck up fast, and though the temperatures during the day were amicable, the nights brought frigid winds that left them both shivering as they tried to shelter in an alley, Nott curled up underneath Caleb’s coat. They needed a place to stay that wasn’t an alley floor, but their supply of coin had dwindled lately. They needed a trick, and they needed something big.

It was Caleb who got the idea, after wandering closer to the nobility area of town. He noted over a dozen houses, all with manicured yards and glistening gates.

“I thought you said we shouldn’t try that,” Nott said with a sigh as she stood next to him and looked on. Caleb shook his head.

“Look how many there are. Can you count them?”

Nott squinted, trying to see down the long winding street. She shrugged.

“Not really. Why?”

“If we do not know, then maybe some of the town does not either.”

“What are you saying?”

Caleb smirked.

“How well can you play the part of a mugger?”

Finding the perfect spot was easy - they just meandered towards the opposite end of the town, where things were a bit more run-down and, as Caleb noted, less people would be inclined as to know who, exactly, owned what house in the richer part of town.

They waited until dusk, and while they did so, Caleb got cleaned up.

“Now don’t be too surprised,” he told Nott with a small smile. “I’ll be back to my good dirtied self soon enough.”

She nodded, and stepped back as he ran his hand along his person. It wasn’t much, just a simple spell meant for practice. He knew, once upon a time, that such a spell would be laughed at amongst his old company. But for now, it served its purpose, as the dirt and grime lifted from his face and he became clean. He fluffed out his coat and made sure he did not smell like the shit he had slept in the previous night. Nott stared at him, her eyes widening with a fear that Caleb found humorous. He settled his clean form and ruffled her hair.

“What do you think?” he asked. “Could I pass for a noble?”

Nott considered him.

“One that’s just been accosted by a furious goblin,” she noted.

“That’s the idea.”

He peeked out into the main street and nodded back to Nott.

“There’s quite a few people. Good.”

He knelt down in front of her.

“Alright. Now punch me.”

Nott spluttered.

“ _ What _ ?”

“I have to be bleeding. Sells the effect.”

“ _ Caleb -  _ ” Nott began.

“I watched you mutilate yourself to sell a con once,” he reminded her. “This is nothing.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Caleb laughed.

“Me too.”

She scrunched up her face in protest, but drew back her small fist and threw it forward. It wasn’t much of a blow - she was so tiny - but her claws did manage to catch the skin above his eye. The blood was immediate, as was the soft bruising that he felt when he raised his hand to his face, wincing.

“I’m so  _ sorry _ , I didn’t - ” Nott was saying, but Caleb shushed her.

“It’s perfect, don’t worry.”

He stood up, slightly woozy, and pushed her back.

“Get ready to run,” he told her.

He glanced back out at the street. He bent over, prepping himself to look like a desperate man, and stumbled out into the square, screaming.

“Help, help! I’ve been robbed!”

Immediately several people were swarming him, one catching him as he faked a stumble and collapsed.

“What happened, what happened?!” a woman was shouting.

“There was a  _ creature _ !” he gasped, holding his hand to his bleeding face. “It stole all my coin!”

“Oh, sir, I’m sorry - ”

“Where were you coming from?”

“Who are you?”

The voices were numerous, as was the crowd he was collecting. He tried to act indignant as he straightened himself up, squaring his shoulders in an attempt to look more regal.

“I am from the noble Allen family,” he huffed. “And I was  _ targeted _ by that  _ beast _ and stripped of all my wealth.”

He looked around to everyone.

“I would be very glad to reward anyone who could help me today. I have many riches back home.”

The people around him were far from beggars and thieves, but they certainly weren’t the richest in town. He could see that now, as their eyes alit with greed at the promise of handsome rewards.

“What do you need?”

“Yes, tell me!”

“I can secure you a horse!”

“I have lodgings!”

Caleb shook his head.

“I simply require the means to make up for what I have lost today. Your kindness will be generously reciprocated once I am back on my feet.”

Instantly, ten people were digging into their purses, digging up what they could.

“Arietta Babath, sir,” one woman announced, stating her name as she handed over a selection of coins.

“Frederick Gotsib!”

“Stella Pietro!”

Names began echoing around him, as he opened up a pouch and began collecting. He didn’t have time to count it, only relished the sight of it growing fuller.

“ _ Danke _ , you are too kind. I will be sure to remember your names when I - ”

“Hey, thief!!”

A guard had appeared in his peripheral vision, and was now heading straight towards him.

“You’re about as noble as my - ”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence before Caleb shoved himself through the crowd around him and  _ bolted _ . He heard the guard cry out in protest, thought he heard something sharp whistle by his ear, but he was already long gone, delving into the back alleys of the streets until his legs were burning so much he crumpled to his knees behind an old tavern. He hugged the coins to his chest, whispering thanks to the world around him that he had managed to succeed.

He was still panting heavily when there was a clatter from the end of the alley. He barely had time to register it before Nott tumbled into view. She herself was holding a larger bag, which was bulging with clinking coins. She drew level with Caleb, grinning ear to goblin ear.

“They weren’t looking,” she gasped. “They weren’t looking and I saw the opportunity and I - ”

She pressed the bag into his hands, and several individual purses slipped out of it, their contents jangling merrily.

“ _ Caleb _ ,” she whispered excitedly. “Caleb, that was magnificent, that was...”

They both stared at their prize, mesmerized. Then Caleb looked around.

“They’ll be looking for us,” he said quickly. “We need to leave, and  _ soon _ .”

“Can’t we at least count it first?”

Caleb smiled fondly at her, but his heart was still pounding. A stunt like that would not go unpunished, and between the two of them they stood out too much.

Immediately, he grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and began coating himself with it. Nott began to help, then paused as she reached up to smear his forehead. It was still bleeding, a fact Caleb hadn’t even noticed until she stopped moving, staring at it.

“What is it, what’s wrong?” Caleb asked. “We need to get moving.”

She looked near tears, and Caleb stopped what he was doing in favor of placing his hands on her shoulders.

“It’s not fair,” she said quietly.

“ _ Was _ ?” he asked, looking at her in confusion.

“You’re bleeding for this, Caleb. We tricked those people. What if they were good people? What if they needed that money?”

Caleb shook his head.

“This is no time to grow a conscience,” he admonished, but it was half-hearted at best.

“I know. It’s just...we keep doing this. This charade, these ideas. What if, one day, it doesn’t work?”

She hugged herself tightly.

“There was once a time when neither of us needed to do these things,” she mumbled. “It’s not fair that we’re hurting others. Hurting ourselves.”

Caleb winced at the reference to their past lives, a fact that neither of them knew about the other, and he liked it better that way. He instead embraced her firmly, kissing the top of her head.

“We will get through this, Nott the Brave,” he promised her. “One trick at a time.”

She sniffed, and handed him the stolen coin.

“Do you have a name?” she asked as he readied their little belongings for the trip out of town.

He considered it for a moment.

“Prince and the Pauper,” he concluded.

“Who’s who?”

“I’m both,” he said with a sly smile. He clutched at the large amount of coin at his belt, then took Nott’s hand.


	4. Spider Eyes

Nott was sick.

Neither of them knew with what - Nott swore that goblins couldn’t get sick with human illnesses, yet here she was, coughing severely, like her tiny lungs couldn’t handle the air around her.

Caleb tried seeking help - a remedy, a cure,  _ anything _ , but no one was willing to take in a goblin as a patient.

They were trying to be frugal with the score they had gained, and up until recently it had been working. All together there was almost ten gold, plus a scattering of various silver and copper - a sum that the two of them had coveted like a divine blessing. They played it safe, staying in modest, even poorer rooms, eating simple meals, all in an attempt to draw out their money as far as possible. When they wanted to, or when they could, they pulled some of their older tricks, safe ones, that could guarantee them some money while not drawing attention.

They had been living the best they’d had in  _ months _ .

But then one morning Nott awoke coughing, her breathing wheezy, complaining of pain in her chest, and Caleb knew he would spend every last copper of their savings if it meant making her get better.

And yet now, all Caleb had to offer was a minuscule potion of healing, which he fed to her gently, curled up where she was on their small bed in their tiny room, rented for the week with a few silver pieces. She was barely conscious, and as the potion drained completely, she blinked weakly up at him, before devolving into further coughing. It had done nothing, he knew that, yet he sat with her for almost an hour, determined to see if something happened.

“Caleb?” Nott whispered.

“ _ Ja _ ?”

“Give me a good funeral, okay?”

He shook his head vehemently.

“ _ Nein.  _ You will not get one while I am here.”

“Heh.” Another cough “You won’t even give me a funeral?”

He laughed out of spite, and all he could do was hug her close and whisper the first prayer he’d uttered in years.

There was a knock at the door, a strange occurrence that had Caleb leaping up in shock. He gently lay Nott down and moved to open it. Outside was a young dwarf girl, a hint of a beard just beginning to peek through on her chin. She looked up at Caleb with wide eyes.

“Someone told me you were looking for a doctor?” she asked.

“ _ Yes _ ,” Caleb pressed. “Do you know one?”

She nodded, but frowned.

“I work for him. He’s willing to see a goblin, but it’s going to be expensive.”

“I don’t care. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”

She bit at her lip, seeming to consider something, before nodding again and stepping back.

“I’ll have him come by later tonight. But his fee’s fifteen gold, and you better be ready to pay up.”

She was gone before Caleb could protest, and he closed the door, despondent. With what was left, he wouldn’t even be able to pay  _ half _ of that fee.

He returned to Nott’s side, and her eyes opened again, looking up at him.

“Spider Eyes,” she whispered faintly.

“ _ Was _ ?” he said, drawing closer to her.

“You should do it,” she replied, a cough punctuating every other word. “You can do it yourself, I know you can.”

Caleb shook his head.

“Nott, that’s always been  _ yours _ . I can’t - ”

“Just because you’re bigger doesn’t mean you can’t - ” She cut herself off as she began to cough again, and Caleb held her, rubbing her back as her tiny body spasmed.

“I’ll try,  _ ja _ ?” he whispered. “I’ll try.”

He waited for her to settle back down into sleep, before throwing on his coat and slipping outside.

Spider Eyes was, indeed, Nott’s trick, and for the very simple reason that she could always find a way to sneak back into the crowd unnoticed. Caleb was bigger, and easier to spot, and though the trick itself was simple enough, he worried he wouldn’t be able to get away in time.

It was already trekking into the evening, and he was losing crowd cover. He had to work fast. He positioned himself at the edge of the main market square, his back to a side street that would be an easy out. He set it up - keeping eight different points in his vision, watching each like a hawk, until one of them showed some semblance of a prize. It wasn’t much more than the average pickpocketing they did on a normal day, with a key difference: once one of the eight became a target, the other seven would become distractions. Nott liked to throw buttons, or cheap flash pops. Caleb liked using magic.

He waited, this time, until someone that looked rich enough to be carrying at least seven gold on their person came into view. It took a while, and a few times he thought he had someone, but he second-guessed his choices, and now the crowd was beginning to thin out, and he was running out of time.

_ There _ . In spot number three, there was a portly man in fine clothes and jewelry.

Caleb dropped his hands to his sides, flicking his fingers out until seven other places around the square started dancing with bright flashes of light, echoing out a cheerful tune. The crowd collectively turned towards the commotion, and Caleb took the moment to surge forward and swipe the man’s purse. He darted into the alley behind him as the crowd cheered on the sudden delightful display. The man didn’t even look down.

Smiling to himself, Caleb quickly walked away.

Someone followed him.

He was halfway back to the inn before he realized it, and by then the sun had set, and there was no longer a crowd to melt into. He took a detour, trying unsuccessfully to dodge their eyesight, but right before he turned a corner a hand shot out and grabbed him, pinning him against the brick wall behind him.

He expected a guard, but was instead met with the same dwarf girl that had approached him in the inn.

“You stealing for your coin now, mister?” she demanded. She was a good foot shorter than him but her grip was much stronger than he’d ever be.

“ _ Bitte, _ ” he pleaded. “ _ Bitte,  _ please, I just needed enough to help her.”

She scowled at him.

“My boss doesn’t like people stealing to pay for him,” she grumbled.

“Then take it all,” Caleb offered. “Please, I just needed it for Nott, he can do with it what he wants.”

She seemed to consider this.

“What business do you have trying to help a goblin anyway?” she snapped.

“What business does a teenager have working for a doctor who sees to them?” Caleb countered, and it was enough for her to let him go. He rubbed at his sore shoulder, and extended the bag he had stolen.

“Here. Please, just take it. I just want to make her better.”

The girl let out a huff and snatched the bag from him.

“He’ll come by in an hour.”

That was apparently the end to the conversation, so Caleb straightened up and retreated back to the inn.

Nott was fast asleep, so Caleb didn’t disturb her. Just sat and listened to her cough occasionally in her slumber.

There was a knock on the door again. He opened it to find a grumpy-looking dwarf, who immediately shoved his way inside and beelined his way to Nott.

“Samantha told me about that stunt you pulled in the market,” he grumbled as he stretched Nott out enough to take her pulse. “I usually don’t tolerate that shit.”

“Yet you’re willing to see a goblin,” Caleb said. “Why is that?”

The doctor shrugged severely. He listened to Nott’s heartbeat, then observed her coughs. He dug into his medicine bag and brought out, not a potion, but a scroll.

“You know what that is, don’t you, son?”

Caleb took it with shaking fingers.

“You’re a magic type. Samantha could tell from the fireworks display. You figure out how to use that, and you’ll help your friend.”

Nott curled back into the ball she had been in with another series of tiny coughs.

“I -” Caleb hesitated. “ _ Danke _ .”

The dwarf nodded at him.

“Try and find some work, with those powers of yours. Might be better than just swiping people’s coin, don’t you think?”

He chuckled to himself, unaware of how Caleb’s mind had just transported a decade behind him, where the only work he had in mind for his magic was - 

The slam of the door snapped him out of it, and he was left alone in the room. He realized he was gripping the scroll so tightly his knuckles had turned white, and he forced himself to take a breath.

He looked over Nott again as he unfurled the scroll and began to recite.

It took energy. Lots of it, draining him completely, and he felt as if he’d studied a library’s worth of books in the span of one night, but when he was done and the scroll burnt away, Nott’s breathing evened out, and there were no more coughs.

He pulled her body into his lap and smoothed out her hair, and patiently waited for her to wake up.

He was drifting off himself when she finally stirred, and weakly grasped his hand.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

She smiled up at him.

“You used magic didn’t you?” she asked.

“ _ Ja _ . It took a lot out of me too.”

“You could do so much with that, you know. You wouldn’t have to scrounge. Wouldn’t have to take care of me.”

“Nott the Brave, if I ever follow through with studying more magic, you will be right by my side.”

She smiled up at him.

“Really?”

“ _ Ja _ .”

“That’s nice.”

Her eyelids drooped, and he let them both fall into slumber.


	5. Baker's Dozen

The two of them were sitting in their room - a shabby one, this time, but a roof over their head was a roof, regardless of its quality - counting the coin that remained in their savings, when Nott raised her head, a surprised look on her face.

“Caleb?” she asked. “What day is it?”

He told her as such, and she sank backwards onto the grimy mattress.

“I...I think it’s my birthday.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow.

“You keep track of such things?”

“Well, not lately. But...I used to.”

Again, he elected not to pry, instead wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

“What do goblins do on their birthdays?”

She gave a hesitant smile.

“Well, I usually swiped an extra helping from our meals.”

He could tell there was more to the story, more to her everything, but right now all that mattered was the idea that had popped into his head.

“How much do you care for something sweet instead?”

Nott perked up.

“I know that look. You’re planning something, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.”

“What’s its name?”

He smiled.

“Baker’s Dozen.”

“Hmm, sounds yummy.”

“It should be. It is a very simple trick. Not much payout, but good for a sweet treat for a special day,  _ ja _ ?”

“Where do we start?”

He led them to a bakery in the southern district - a popular place that was bustling with various patrons, all waiting in line. Caleb hesitated in a nearby alley and knelt down to Nott.

“Keep your mask up,  _ ja? _ And don’t be afraid to talk - your voice is high enough it can pass off as a child’s.”

Nott fussed with her bandages and tucked her ears beneath her hood. She raised the mask and gave Caleb a warm smile from behind it, crinkling her yellow eyes.

“What should I say?” she asked.

He smiled back at her and laughed slightly.

“Say you are hungry for a sweet. It is not a lie.”

Nott nodded, and Caleb lifted her up into his arms.

He walked around the corner and stepped into the line, waiting patiently for his turn. When he arrived to the front counter, a young teenager greeted him with a toothy grin.

“What can I get ya, mister?”

“Uh,  _ ja _ , I was wondering if you could do me a favor. It is my girl’s birthday today and we were admiring your delightful display of cakes and -”

“Oh, our cakes are excellent! A whole round one will cost you about a silver.”

Caleb frowned and drew himself up a little more. Nott made a sound of protest in his arms.

“But Papa, I wanted a free one!” she murmured, just whining enough to garner the sympathy of the teenager. Caleb gave him a pleading look.

“Listen, I am not asking for an entire cake, maybe just one slice? I was planning on buying some bread anyway, and we had heard from down the road that you were offering a family special.”

The teenager softened at Nott’s pitiful form and stepped back.

“Let me just check with the boss,” he said, and disappeared into the back. Caleb waited only a minute or two before a hulking man wandered out, wielding a rolling pin like a cudgel.

“What’s this then about a family special?” he barked.

Caleb leaned forward, acting the part of an interested patron.

“Oh,  _ ja _ , I had heard you were offering free samples for the childrens’ birthday if I made a purchase. I would hate to be wrong, such practice is such a good way of gathering more people, you must be very smart to think of it. I promise I will tell my friends far and - ”

The man waved for him to stop talking. His face had morphed into curiosity, and a small bit of greed.

“Well, listen, we only offer the best in town here. Tell you what, if you go on and tell your friends about us, I’ll let your girl have a slice of cake. Your pick, honey.”

Caleb could feel Nott’s heartbeat grow quicker at the promise of a selection, a luxury they hadn’t had in a while. She peered into the glass case and pointed at a brown one with white piped frosting flowers.

“That one!”

The man nodded, and moved to take the slice. Caleb smiled gratefully at the teenager as he handed him two copper for a loaf of hot bread. The owner handed him the bread and the slice of chocolate cake. It was small, without much frosting, but Nott grabbed it anyway with greedy hands.

“ _ Danke _ ,” Caleb nodded, toasting the owner with the freshly gained bread. “I will be sure to spread the word of your generosity.”

“Come back anytime, sir!” the owner called after them, and then they were gone, snaking around the bend into a safe place where they could settle down and eat.

“I can’t believe that actually worked,” Nott said, laughing slightly as she gazed longingly at the cake in her hands. “Oh, it smells  _ amazing _ .”

She held it up to Caleb, who shook his head.

“Your treat. Happy birthday,  _ mein freund. _ ”

Caleb broke apart the ends of the bread, handing one to Nott, who set it gently down beside her as she took her little fingers and ravenously scooped up a handful of cake. She brought it to her mouth and took a monstrous bite, her teeth smeared with chocolate. Caleb laughed as she practically sang with pleasure at the taste and continued eating. He took a few nibbles at his own bread, sinking back against the wall behind him.

“You know,” Nott managed between bites. “We could pull this off on other days. Not just my birthday.”

“Let us save it for a rainy day,  _ ja _ ? It might not work in smaller towns, where the bakers know each other.”

Nott shrugged.

“Works fine for me,” she said with a small chuckle. She finished eating, and there was a small amount of cake left on the plate.

“Here,” she insisted, moving to sit next to him. “Please, take it.”

He finished chewing his bread and took the plate from her. He scooped up what was left of the cake and brought it to his mouth.

It tasted heavenly, like something out of a dream. The sweetness of the sugar combined with the moistened cake to produce a sensation that had him drifting back to a small memory, a happy one, of a chocolate bar being rewarded to him by his mother. He had just finished learning how to cast a cantrip. It was something so simple, really, so minuscule. But she had been so proud of him, his father too.

“Caleb?” Nott’s voice was far away. “Caleb, are you alright?”

He brought himself slowly back to the present, and he realized he was crying. He hurriedly wiped the tears away with his sleeve and sniffed loudly. He placed the empty plate down and pulled Nott close to him in a tight hug.

“You are like family to me,” he whispered into her shoulder. “I hope you know that.”

He could hear her smile.

“The feeling’s mutual,” she said, and hugged him back.


	6. Cartwheel

They were in a larger town, the closest they’d gotten to Zadash without actually crossing near its threshold, and with that increased population came better opportunities to con ignorant goers of their coin. They ran Moneypot again, to great success, and after the first day when they realized they had enough to last them longer, they settled down and tried again, this time with a different trick, until a week had gone by and they were still making a profit.

“Do you - ” Nott stuttered out that night as they settled into their room. It was nowhere near luxury, but it was still a significant upgrade from their usual settlements, in thanks partially to their hard-earned coin and due to an alternate version of Rat Food they’d played at the beginning of the week, negotiating a cheaper price in exchange for their silence on the supposed vermin.

“ _ Ja?” _ Caleb asked, after Nott hadn’t continued.

“Do you think we could stay?” she whispered, almost out of shame. “Longer, I mean.”

Caleb looked down at her as she chewed at the remains of a cookie they’d managed to convince the baker down the road to give them as a bonus to their bread bowl of soup. Nott very much enjoyed Baker’s Dozen, though it had been saved as a special occasional use trick.

“Here?” Caleb said, gesturing to the room around them. Nott nodded.

“Think about it, Caleb,” she sighed. “This town is big enough that people won’t remember us. There’s new people every day, lots of shops, I’m sure that this won’t be the first inn in town willing to shell out a discount, and even if not, I spotted a couple shabbier ones that would do just as well and -”

“Slow down,  _ mein freund. _ ” Caleb squeezed her arm. “I...I don’t know. People could still catch on. We’ve always stayed on the move, Nott, you know that.”

“But what if we didn’t have to be anymore?”

She sounded sad, pining for something neither of them had ever had since they first met in that jail cell so long ago.

“I…” He trailed off. It was a choice, yes. A potential option that he’d weighed for months.

“Maybe,” he settled on. “Give it ‘till the end of the next week,  _ ja? _ If things are okay then, well...maybe.”

Nott seemed satisfied with this answer, and she offered him the rest of the cookie.

“Oh, go on,” she insisted when he shook his head. “You deserve a treat sometimes too, you know.”

He smiled fondly at her and took the cookie, despite the self-hatred inside himself telling him he deserved nothing. If Nott was offering - if Nott was insisting - he would do as bidden.

Besides, the chocolate reminded him of home.

The rest of the week went by uneventfully, with the two of them managing to turn a small profit by running small, safe cons. Caleb liked it this way. The riskier gambits may nab them bigger hauls, but this - this prospect of staying in one place, surviving off of small tricks - this was safe, and comfortable, and as time went on he realized he was beginning to appreciate Nott’s suggestion.

Maybe staying was a good idea after all.

It reached the end of their second week in town. By now, they’d retreated to a cheaper inn, content to live there completely legally in favor of keeping their heads down.

They were walking home from their daily schemes when things went wrong.

The worst part of all of it was that the guard hadn’t even caught them stealing, or cheating, or tricking, or  _ anything _ . They were simply walking, and someone had bumped Caleb, and his hand had hit Nott, and her mask had come undone, and now there was a guard approaching them, hand on his weapon, ready to demand what a goblin was doing in the middle of the reputable town.

They were used to running, but by now the crowds had all but dissipated, leaving them vulnerable, in the middle of the street. Caleb took in their situation with careful yet slightly panicked eyes and hissed a word to his little friend.

“ _ Cartwheel. _ ”

Nott’s eyes widened as he stepped in front of her fully, facing the guard, who looked angry. They had already pulled their sword halfway out, and behind him Caleb could feel Nott’s hand grasp into his coat and pull out the flash pops.

She chucked them in front of Caleb, and as they exploded Caleb intensified the effect with brilliant light and loud sound, and it was enough to distract the approaching guard so Nott could scamper into the shadows.

But the guard was already shouting for another from down the street, and now there were two, and though Nott was quick and small and easily lost in the darkness of the alleys, Caleb was distinctly not, and no amount of flashy magic could stop two fully armoured guards as they grabbed his arms and wrenched him backwards.

“Where’d your little friend go?” one of them, taller and stockier built, demanded.

“Why do you care?” Caleb risked, pulling against the grasp of the other one, a man with an ugly goatee. “We were just walking, is that illegal here?”

“You were walking with a goblin,” the guard said, narrowing their eyes. “I would recognize those teeth anywhere.”

“Is being a goblin illegal too?” Caleb pressed, still trying to get away, but he had never been too strong.

“Well, look who’s new in town,” Goatee behind him sneered. “Those little monsters have been stealing our cows and killing our chickens for  _ weeks _ now.”

“And now here you are,  _ cavorting _ with one. You wanna tell us what you’re hiding, mister?”

Caleb looked desperately around him, but thankfully spotted no sign of Nott. That had always been the plan - if one of them got caught, the other would run, make sure they didn’t get nabbed too. Then, later, they’d rescue the other.

It had been a plan for so long, but they had never needed to actually enact it.

“You gonna answer me, asshole, or does this need to get ugly?”

The drawn sword was drifting near Caleb’s face now, and he tried to push himself away, but Goatee’s hands still held him in place, and tightly.

“I don’t know anything about that,” Caleb said, trying an honest approach and seeing where it got him. The guard exchanged a glance with Goatee, who shrugged. They turned back to Caleb and frowned.

“Where did it go?” he asked forcefully.

“I don’t know.” Again, the truth. Nott could be anywhere.

There was a brief pause in which it seemed as if words alone could get him out of this.

Then Goatee swept Caleb’s knees out from under him, and the guard in front delivered a kick to his ribs.

The breath left Caleb in an instant, himself held aloft only by Goatee’s tight grasp. He felt manacles on his wrists as the guard bent down to his eye level as Caleb struggled to breathe.

“I think you’re lying to me,” he hissed. “And I think you’ll tell us more once we have a  _ proper _ conversation.”

He felt himself get dragged upwards, away, and he prayed for Nott to stick to the plan.

To not try anything stupid.

The prison was mercifully close by, reducing the need for public humiliation and spectacle, something Caleb distinctly wanted to avoid. They pulled him inside and threw him into a corner cell, dingy and dirty, with a roughly hewn stone floor that scraped at his skin as he slid across it.

The guard followed him in as Caleb pushed himself up and against the wall behind him, trying to get away, but the man simply followed, pinning Caleb in.

“You’re a mage,” he said, grabbing one of Caleb’s shackled hands and wrenching it towards him. “I saw that display back there.”

Caleb’s breath quickened, but he nodded.

“ _ Ja _ . I can help you, with whatever you need,” he offered, attempting to barter for a sentence of service, but the man in front of him clearly wasn’t interested.

“If I needed a mage to do my laundry, I’d hire one,” the guard snapped. “No, I’m more interested in your little friend. So I’ll make you a deal.”

In one swift movement, he had slammed Caleb’s hand to the floor, pinning it down with his foot as he removed a hammer from his belt.

“You’re going to tell me where the goblin is hiding,” he ordered. “Or you can say goodbye to your powers.”

Caleb struggled. He tried to escape as he pleaded with the impassive face of the guard, as he raised the hammer.

In the end, there wasn’t a choice. He knew dozens of places where Nott could have retreated to. But he wouldn’t disclose a single damn one of them.

He knew what came from his magic. Terror, destruction,  _ fire, death. _ Removing that method of hurt from his abilities was a blessing.

That belief did nothing to alleviate the sheer overwhelming  _ agony _ that shot through his system as each bone shattered, one by one.

He must have blacked out, for the next thing he knew he was alone in the cell, clutching his ruined hand to his chest, the throbbing pain a consistent reminder of his friend. Nott the Brave.

The guards largely ignored him after that, save for serving him a rough meal that he pitifully ate awkwardly with his unharmed hand.

He waited.

He waited too long.

There was a window in his cell, albeit a small one, and it blessedly gave him a sense of time beyond his own internal clock. Two days went by without any sign. By the third, he was convinced Nott had left him behind.

It made sense. He was worthless to her now, dead weight, and besides, all these months together had taught her to fend for herself. All these cons, all these tricks. She’d find ways to make them her own. She already had, multiple times.

He was proud of her. For moving on without him, for living her own way. For knowing that, in the end, he was too dangerous. For deciding that it wasn’t worth it to tie herself to someone as lowly and filthy as himself.

None of it helped the hurt inside him though.

He was furious with himself. Disgusted, even. How dare he weep over the loss of something he had never deserved in the first place? It was pathetic, and awful, and once he even caught himself pulling at one of his own broken fingers, in an effort to draw attention to the pain he  _ should _ be feeling.

He was alone, and that was how it was meant to be.

It was the middle of the night after the fourth day when a small clicking sound echoed above him.

At this point, sleep was a foreign concept to Caleb, too steeped in bad memories and horrible images. So he heard the noises immediately, and sat up to find two tiny bandaged hands desperately picking away at the locked bars covering the window above him.

“N - Nott?” he whispered, bleary-eyed and disbelieving.

“Caleb?” she hissed. “Caleb, is that - ?”

Her eyes came into view, and she gave him a toothy grin.

“Hang on, hang on, I’ve almost got this!”

He stared as she continued to work. A few moments went by, and a glorious sounding click echoed dully through the cell. The bars slid away, and Nott stuck her tiny hand down into it.

“Come on, come on, before they see!”

Caleb shook his head, hesitating.

“Nott...Nott, maybe you should go. Without me.”

She looked distraught.

“Are you kidding?! It took me ages to even find you, I’m not leaving  _ now! _ ”

His hand, the pain of which had settled into a dull throbbing, seemed to alight with a new painful fire, and he winced. Nott still had her hand outstretched towards him.

“Come  _ on! _ ”

He sucked in a deep breath. Then, gingerly, he extended his good hand and grasped her own, and began to climb.

They somehow made it out safely, and Nott hurriedly and instinctively grabbed his broken hand in an effort to start running, and he let out a sharp yell. Nott screeched to a halt, panicked.

“What - what did they do to you?”

Caleb shook his head, already beginning to run.

“I will tell you later,” he pressed. “Where is the closest road out?”

Nott pointed, and they ran. They ran through the empty streets, and into the outskirts, until they hit a road, at which they swiftly ducked into the woods to the side, and they kept running.

Like old times.

They finally stopped once they knew they were safe, collapsing against a tree, and now Nott was examining his broken hand, and Caleb saw tears swimming in her eyes.

“Those absolute fucking  _ bastards _ ,” she cursed under her breath. “Oh,  _ Caleb _ , we’ll get it fixed, we’ll make it better.”

He winced terribly, and offered her a sad smile.

“It is better this way,” he said softly. “I cannot hurt anyone.”

Nott gave him a sharp look that was almost motherly.

“Don’t you  _ dare _ say that,” she admonished. “You’ve never hurt anyone far as I’ve seen, and that’s all that matters.”

_ You don’t know _ he wanted to tell her.  _ You don’t know the atrocities that I have done. _

But he stayed silently pliant as Nott fussed with his hand some more, eventually managing to tie it roughly in a loose sling.

“Until we can get it seen to,” she reassured him. “How much money do we have left?”

“ _ Schiesse,” _ Caleb murmured, as he realized that the guards had taken away his share of their coin.

“It’s okay,” Nott said, smiling as she raised her own purse. A few precious coins clinked within it. Not everything. But it would do.

“I was thinking we could try Hell in a Handbasket,” she told him as they settled down for the night. “Y’know, now that we’re sort of back at the beginning a bit.”

Caleb smiled at her, and pulled her closer with his good hand, hugging her tightly and kissing her forehead.

“ _ Danke _ . For saving me.”

“Of course!” She said the words so matter-of-factly. Like she hadn’t thought about leaving him at all. “Let’s just get you fixed up and we’ll be alright, won’t we?”

They would be. Somehow, despite an arrest, despite his broken hand, despite the plans they had for staying put being shattered in a single act of violence - somehow, they would be okay.


End file.
